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Sonmez UM, Frey N, LeDuc PR, Minden JS. Fly Me to the Micron: Microtechnologies for Drosophila Research. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2024; 26:441-473. [PMID: 38959386 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-050423-054647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Multicellular model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), are frequently used in a myriad of biological research studies due to their biological significance and global standardization. However, traditional tools used in these studies generally require manual handling, subjective phenotyping, and bulk treatment of the organisms, resulting in laborious experimental protocols with limited accuracy. Advancements in microtechnology over the course of the last two decades have allowed researchers to develop automated, high-throughput, and multifunctional experimental tools that enable novel experimental paradigms that would not be possible otherwise. We discuss recent advances in microtechnological systems developed for small model organisms using D. melanogaster as an example. We critically analyze the state of the field by comparing the systems produced for different applications. Additionally, we suggest design guidelines, operational tips, and new research directions based on the technical and knowledge gaps in the literature. This review aims to foster interdisciplinary work by helping engineers to familiarize themselves with model organisms while presenting the most recent advances in microengineering strategies to biologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Utku M Sonmez
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;
- Current affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Scripps Research, San Diego, California, USA
- Current affiliation: Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Nolan Frey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;
| | - Philip R LeDuc
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonathan S Minden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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2
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Shi Y, Cui C, Chen S, Chen S, Wang Y, Xu Q, Yang L, Ye J, Hong Z, Hu H. Worm-Based Diagnosis Combining Microfluidics toward Early Cancer Screening. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:484. [PMID: 38675295 PMCID: PMC11052135 DOI: 10.3390/mi15040484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Early cancer diagnosis increases therapy efficiency and saves huge medical costs. Traditional blood-based cancer markers and endoscopy procedures demonstrate limited capability in the diagnosis. Reliable, non-invasive, and cost-effective methods are in high demand across the world. Worm-based diagnosis, utilizing the chemosensory neuronal system of C. elegans, emerges as a non-invasive approach for early cancer diagnosis with high sensitivity. It facilitates effectiveness in large-scale cancer screening for the foreseeable future. Here, we review the progress of a unique route of early cancer diagnosis based on the chemosensory neuronal system of C. elegans. We first introduce the basic procedures of the chemotaxis assay of C. elegans: synchronization, behavior assay, immobilization, and counting. Then, we review the progress of each procedure and the various cancer types for which this method has achieved early diagnosis. For each procedure, we list examples of microfluidics technologies that have improved the automation, throughput, and efficiency of each step or module. Finally, we envision that microfluidics technologies combined with the chemotaxis assay of C. elegans can lead to an automated, cost-effective, non-invasive early cancer screening technology, with the development of more mature microfluidic modules as well as systematic integration of functional modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutao Shi
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China (S.C.); (Q.X.)
| | - Chen Cui
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China (S.C.); (Q.X.)
| | - Shengzhi Chen
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China (S.C.); (Q.X.)
| | - Siyu Chen
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China (S.C.); (Q.X.)
| | - Yiheng Wang
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China (S.C.); (Q.X.)
| | - Qingyang Xu
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China (S.C.); (Q.X.)
| | - Lan Yang
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China (S.C.); (Q.X.)
| | - Jiayi Ye
- Zhejiang University-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Institute (ZJU-UIUC Institute), International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China
| | - Zhi Hong
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China (S.C.); (Q.X.)
| | - Huan Hu
- Zhejiang University-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Institute (ZJU-UIUC Institute), International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China
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Zhang J, Liu S, Yuan H, Yong R, Duan S, Li Y, Spencer J, Lim EG, Yu L, Song P. Deep Learning for Microfluidic-Assisted Caenorhabditis elegans Multi-Parameter Identification Using YOLOv7. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1339. [PMID: 37512650 PMCID: PMC10386376 DOI: 10.3390/mi14071339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an ideal model organism for studying human diseases and genetics due to its transparency and suitability for optical imaging. However, manually sorting a large population of C. elegans for experiments is tedious and inefficient. The microfluidic-assisted C. elegans sorting chip is considered a promising platform to address this issue due to its automation and ease of operation. Nevertheless, automated C. elegans sorting with multiple parameters requires efficient identification technology due to the different research demands for worm phenotypes. To improve the efficiency and accuracy of multi-parameter sorting, we developed a deep learning model using You Only Look Once (YOLO)v7 to detect and recognize C. elegans automatically. We used a dataset of 3931 annotated worms in microfluidic chips from various studies. Our model showed higher precision in automated C. elegans identification than YOLOv5 and Faster R-CNN, achieving a mean average precision (mAP) at a 0.5 intersection over a union (mAP@0.5) threshold of 99.56%. Additionally, our model demonstrated good generalization ability, achieving an mAP@0.5 of 94.21% on an external validation set. Our model can efficiently and accurately identify and calculate multiple phenotypes of worms, including size, movement speed, and fluorescence. The multi-parameter identification model can improve sorting efficiency and potentially promote the development of automated and integrated microfluidic platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L693BX, UK
| | - Shuhe Liu
- School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Hang Yuan
- School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ruiqi Yong
- School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Sixuan Duan
- School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L693BX, UK
| | - Yifan Li
- School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L693BX, UK
| | - Joseph Spencer
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L693BX, UK
| | - Eng Gee Lim
- School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L693BX, UK
| | - Limin Yu
- School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L693BX, UK
| | - Pengfei Song
- School of Advanced Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L693BX, UK
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Yuan H, Yuan W, Duan S, Jiao K, Zhang Q, Lim EG, Chen M, Zhao C, Pan P, Liu X, Song P. Microfluidic-Assisted Caenorhabditis elegans Sorting: Current Status and Future Prospects. CYBORG AND BIONIC SYSTEMS 2023; 4:0011. [PMID: 37287459 PMCID: PMC10243201 DOI: 10.34133/cbsystems.0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been a popular model organism for several decades since its first discovery of the huge research potential for modeling human diseases and genetics. Sorting is an important means of providing stage- or age-synchronized worm populations for many worm-based bioassays. However, conventional manual techniques for C. elegans sorting are tedious and inefficient, and commercial complex object parametric analyzer and sorter is too expensive and bulky for most laboratories. Recently, the development of lab-on-a-chip (microfluidics) technology has greatly facilitated C. elegans studies where large numbers of synchronized worm populations are required and advances of new designs, mechanisms, and automation algorithms. Most previous reviews have focused on the development of microfluidic devices but lacked the summaries and discussion of the biological research demands of C. elegans, and are hard to read for worm researchers. We aim to comprehensively review the up-to-date microfluidic-assisted C. elegans sorting developments from several angles to suit different background researchers, i.e., biologists and engineers. First, we highlighted the microfluidic C. elegans sorting devices' advantages and limitations compared to the conventional commercialized worm sorting tools. Second, to benefit the engineers, we reviewed the current devices from the perspectives of active or passive sorting, sorting strategies, target populations, and sorting criteria. Third, to benefit the biologists, we reviewed the contributions of sorting to biological research. We expect, by providing this comprehensive review, that each researcher from this multidisciplinary community can effectively find the needed information and, in turn, facilitate future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Yuan
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wenwen Yuan
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sixuan Duan
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Keran Jiao
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Chemistry,
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Quan Zhang
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Eng Gee Lim
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Min Chen
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Chun Zhao
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Peng Pan
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering,
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering,
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Pengfei Song
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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5
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A secure two-qubit quantum model for segmentation and classification of brain tumor using MRI images based on blockchain. Neural Comput Appl 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00521-022-07388-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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6
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Zhang P, Shao N, Qin L. Recent Advances in Microfluidic Platforms for Programming Cell-Based Living Materials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2005944. [PMID: 34270839 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202005944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based living materials, including single cells, cell-laden fibers, cell sheets, organoids, and organs, have attracted intensive interests owing to their widespread applications in cancer therapy, regenerative medicine, drug development, and so on. Significant progress in materials, microfabrication, and cell biology have promoted the development of numerous promising microfluidic platforms for programming these cell-based living materials with a high-throughput, scalable, and efficient manner. In this review, the recent progress of novel microfluidic platforms for programming cell-based living materials is presented. First, the unique features, categories, and materials and related fabrication methods of microfluidic platforms are briefly introduced. From the viewpoint of the design principles of the microfluidic platforms, the recent significant advances of programming single cells, cell-laden fibers, cell sheets, organoids, and organs in turns are then highlighted. Last, by providing personal perspectives on challenges and future trends, this review aims to motivate researchers from the fields of materials and engineering to work together with biologists and physicians to promote the development of cell-based living materials for human healthcare-related applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengchao Zhang
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ning Shao
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Lidong Qin
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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7
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Memeo R, Paiè P, Sala F, Castriotta M, Guercio C, Vaccari T, Osellame R, Bassi A, Bragheri F. Automatic imaging of Drosophila embryos with light sheet fluorescence microscopy on chip. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2021; 14:e202000396. [PMID: 33295053 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202000396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We present a microscope on chip for automated imaging of Drosophila embryos by light sheet fluorescence microscopy. This integrated device, constituted by both optical and microfluidic components, allows the automatic acquisition of a 3D stack of images for specimens diluted in a liquid suspension. The device has been fully optimized to address the challenges related to the specimens under investigation. Indeed, the thickness and the high ellipticity of Drosophila embryos can degrade the image quality. In this regard, optical and fluidic optimization has been carried out to implement dual-sided illumination and automatic sample orientation. In addition, we highlight the dual color investigation capabilities of this device, by processing two sample populations encoding different fluorescent proteins. This work was made possible by the versatility of the used fabrication technique, femtosecond laser micromachining, which allows straightforward fabrication of both optical and fluidic components in glass substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Memeo
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN)-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
| | - Petra Paiè
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN)-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Sala
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN)-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Castriotta
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN)-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Guercio
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Thomas Vaccari
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Osellame
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN)-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Bassi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN)-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Bragheri
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN)-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy
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8
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Building three-dimensional lung models for studying pharmacokinetics of inhaled drugs. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 170:386-395. [PMID: 32971227 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Drug development is a critical step in the development pipeline of pharmaceutical industry, commonly performed in traditional cell culture and animal models. Though, those models hold critical gapsin the prediction and the translation of human pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) parameters. The advances in tissue engineering have allowed the combination of cell biology with microengineering techniques, offering alternatives to conventional preclinical models. Organ-on-a-chips and three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting models present the potentialityof simulating the physiological and pathological microenvironment of living organs and tissues, constituting this way,more realistic models for the assessment of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of drugs. Therefore, this review will focus on lung-on-a-chip and 3D bioprinting techniques for developing lung models that can be usedfor predicting PK/PD parameters.
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9
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Nikolakopoulou P, Rauti R, Voulgaris D, Shlomy I, Maoz BM, Herland A. Recent progress in translational engineered in vitro models of the central nervous system. Brain 2020; 143:3181-3213. [PMID: 33020798 PMCID: PMC7719033 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The complexity of the human brain poses a substantial challenge for the development of models of the CNS. Current animal models lack many essential human characteristics (in addition to raising operational challenges and ethical concerns), and conventional in vitro models, in turn, are limited in their capacity to provide information regarding many functional and systemic responses. Indeed, these challenges may underlie the notoriously low success rates of CNS drug development efforts. During the past 5 years, there has been a leap in the complexity and functionality of in vitro systems of the CNS, which have the potential to overcome many of the limitations of traditional model systems. The availability of human-derived induced pluripotent stem cell technology has further increased the translational potential of these systems. Yet, the adoption of state-of-the-art in vitro platforms within the CNS research community is limited. This may be attributable to the high costs or the immaturity of the systems. Nevertheless, the costs of fabrication have decreased, and there are tremendous ongoing efforts to improve the quality of cell differentiation. Herein, we aim to raise awareness of the capabilities and accessibility of advanced in vitro CNS technologies. We provide an overview of some of the main recent developments (since 2015) in in vitro CNS models. In particular, we focus on engineered in vitro models based on cell culture systems combined with microfluidic platforms (e.g. 'organ-on-a-chip' systems). We delve into the fundamental principles underlying these systems and review several applications of these platforms for the study of the CNS in health and disease. Our discussion further addresses the challenges that hinder the implementation of advanced in vitro platforms in personalized medicine or in large-scale industrial settings, and outlines the existing differentiation protocols and industrial cell sources. We conclude by providing practical guidelines for laboratories that are considering adopting organ-on-a-chip technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polyxeni Nikolakopoulou
- AIMES, Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rossana Rauti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dimitrios Voulgaris
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Iftach Shlomy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ben M Maoz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anna Herland
- AIMES, Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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10
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Castro N, Ribeiro S, Fernandes MM, Ribeiro C, Cardoso V, Correia V, Minguez R, Lanceros‐Mendez S. Physically Active Bioreactors for Tissue Engineering Applications. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 4:e2000125. [DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Castro
- BCMaterials, Basque Centre for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Science Park Leioa E‐48940 Spain
| | - S. Ribeiro
- Physics Centre University of Minho Campus de Gualtar Braga 4710‐057 Portugal
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) University of Minho Campus de Gualtar Braga 4710‐057 Portugal
| | - M. M. Fernandes
- Physics Centre University of Minho Campus de Gualtar Braga 4710‐057 Portugal
- CEB – Centre of Biological Engineering University of Minho Braga 4710‐057 Portugal
| | - C. Ribeiro
- Physics Centre University of Minho Campus de Gualtar Braga 4710‐057 Portugal
- CEB – Centre of Biological Engineering University of Minho Braga 4710‐057 Portugal
| | - V. Cardoso
- CMEMS‐UMinho Universidade do Minho Campus de Azurém Guimarães 4800‐058 Portugal
| | - V. Correia
- Algoritmi Research Centre University of Minho Campus de Azurém Guimarães 4800‐058 Portugal
| | - R. Minguez
- Department of Graphic Design and Engineering Projects University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Bilbao E‐48013 Spain
| | - S. Lanceros‐Mendez
- BCMaterials, Basque Centre for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Science Park Leioa E‐48940 Spain
- IKERBASQUE Basque Foundation for Science Bilbao E‐48013 Spain
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11
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Chen P, Li S, Guo Y, Zeng X, Liu BF. A review on microfluidics manipulation of the extracellular chemical microenvironment and its emerging application to cell analysis. Anal Chim Acta 2020; 1125:94-113. [PMID: 32674786 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.05.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Spatiotemporal manipulation of extracellular chemical environments with simultaneous monitoring of cellular responses plays an essential role in exploring fundamental biological processes and expands our understanding of underlying mechanisms. Despite the rapid progress and promising successes in manipulation strategies, many challenges remain due to the small size of cells and the rapid diffusion of chemical molecules. Fortunately, emerging microfluidic technology has become a powerful approach for precisely controlling the extracellular chemical microenvironment, which benefits from its integration capacity, automation, and high-throughput capability, as well as its high resolution down to submicron. Here, we summarize recent advances in microfluidics manipulation of the extracellular chemical microenvironment, including the following aspects: i) Spatial manipulation of chemical microenvironments realized by convection flow-, diffusion-, and droplet-based microfluidics, and surface chemical modification; ii) Temporal manipulation of chemical microenvironments enabled by flow switching/shifting, moving/flowing cells across laminar flows, integrated microvalves/pumps, and droplet manipulation; iii) Spatiotemporal manipulation of chemical microenvironments implemented by a coupling strategy and open-space microfluidics; and iv) High-throughput manipulation of chemical microenvironments. Finally, we briefly present typical applications of the above-mentioned technical advances in cell-based analyses including cell migration, cell signaling, cell differentiation, multicellular analysis, and drug screening. We further discuss the future improvement of microfluidics manipulation of extracellular chemical microenvironments to fulfill the needs of biological and biomedical research and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Chen
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Shunji Li
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yiran Guo
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xuemei Zeng
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Bi-Feng Liu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
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12
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Zhang F, Liu W, Zhou S, Jiang L, Wang K, Wei Y, Liu A, Wei W, Liu S. Investigation of Environmental Pollutant-Induced Lung Inflammation and Injury in a 3D Coculture-Based Microfluidic Pulmonary Alveolus System. Anal Chem 2020; 92:7200-7208. [PMID: 32233451 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The health impact of environmental pollution involving an increase in human diseases has been subject to extensive study in recent decades. The methodology in biomimetic investigation of these pathophysiologic events is still in progress to uncover the gaps in knowledge associated with pollution and its influences on health. Herein, we describe a comprehensive evaluation of environmental pollutant-caused lung inflammation and injury using a microfluidic pulmonary alveolus platform with alveolar-capillary interfaces. We performed a microfluidic three-dimensional coculture with physiological microenvironment simulation at microscale control and demonstrated a reliable reconstruction of tissue layers including alveolar epithelium and microvascular endothelium with typical mechanical, structural, and junctional integrity, as well as viability. On-chip detection and analysis of pulmonary alveolus responses focusing on various inflammatory and injurious dynamics to the respective pollutant stimulations were achieved in the coculture-based microfluidic pulmonary alveolus model, in comparison with common on-chip monoculture and off-chip culture tools. We confirmed the synergistic effects of the epithelial and endothelial interfaces on the stimuli resistance and verified the importance of creating complex tissue microenvironments in vitro to explore pollution-involved human pathology. We believe the microfluidic approach presents great promise in environmental monitoring, drug discovery, and tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fen Zhang
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Wenming Liu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Sisi Zhou
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Ling Jiang
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Kan Wang
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Yuanqing Wei
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Anran Liu
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Songqin Liu
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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13
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Zabihihesari A, Hilliker AJ, Rezai P. Fly-on-a-Chip: Microfluidics for Drosophila melanogaster Studies. Integr Biol (Camb) 2020; 11:425-443. [DOI: 10.1093/intbio/zyz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The fruit fly or Drosophila melanogaster has been used as a promising model organism in genetics, developmental and behavioral studies as well as in the fields of neuroscience, pharmacology, and toxicology. Not only all the developmental stages of Drosophila, including embryonic, larval, and adulthood stages, have been used in experimental in vivo biology, but also the organs, tissues, and cells extracted from this model have found applications in in vitro assays. However, the manual manipulation, cellular investigation and behavioral phenotyping techniques utilized in conventional Drosophila-based in vivo and in vitro assays are mostly time-consuming, labor-intensive, and low in throughput. Moreover, stimulation of the organism with external biological, chemical, or physical signals requires precision in signal delivery, while quantification of neural and behavioral phenotypes necessitates optical and physical accessibility to Drosophila. Recently, microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices have emerged as powerful tools to overcome these challenges. This review paper demonstrates the role of microfluidic technology in Drosophila studies with a focus on both in vivo and in vitro investigations. The reviewed microfluidic devices are categorized based on their applications to various stages of Drosophila development. We have emphasized technologies that were utilized for tissue- and behavior-based investigations. Furthermore, the challenges and future directions in Drosophila-on-a-chip research, and its integration with other advanced technologies, will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pouya Rezai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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14
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Atakan HB, Ayhan F, Gijs MAM. PDMS filter structures for size-dependent larval sorting and on-chip egg extraction of C. elegans. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:155-167. [PMID: 31793616 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00949c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
C. elegans-based assays require age-synchronized populations prior to experimentation to achieve standardized sets of worm populations, due to which age-induced heterogeneous phenotyping effects can be avoided. There have been several approaches to synchronize populations of C. elegans at certain larval stages; however, many of these methods are tedious, complex and have low throughput. In this work, we demonstrate a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic filtering device for high-throughput, efficient, and extremely rapid sorting of mixed larval populations of C. elegans. Our device consists of three plasma-activated and bonded PDMS parts and permits sorting of mixed populations of two consecutive larval stages in a matter of minutes. After sorting, we also retain the remaining larval stage of the initially mixed worm population on the chip, thereby enabling collection of the two sorted larval populations from the device. We demonstrated that the target larvae could be collected from a mixed worm population by cascading these devices. Our approach is based on only passive hydrodynamics filter structures, resulting in a user-friendly and reusable tool. In addition, we employed the equivalent of a standard bleaching procedure that is practiced in standard worm culture on agar plates for embryo harvesting on our chip, and we demonstrated rapid egg extraction and subsequent harvesting of a synchronized L1 larvae population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huseyin Baris Atakan
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Furkan Ayhan
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Martin A M Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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15
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Automated Platform for Long-Term Culture and High-Content Phenotyping of Single C. elegans Worms. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14340. [PMID: 31586133 PMCID: PMC6778082 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50920-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a suitable model organism in drug screening. Traditionally worms are grown on agar plates, posing many challenges for long-term culture and phenotyping of animals under identical conditions. Microfluidics allows for 'personalized' phenotyping, as microfluidic chips permit collecting individual responses over worms' full life. Here, we present a multiplexed, high-throughput, high-resolution microfluidic approach to culture C. elegans from embryo to the adult stage at single animal resolution. We allocated single embryos to growth chambers, for observing the main embryonic and post-embryonic development stages and phenotypes, while exposing worms to up to 8 different well-controlled chemical conditions. Our approach allowed eliminating bacteria aggregation and biofilm formation-related clogging issues, which enabled us performing up to 80 hours of automated single worm culture studies. Our microfluidic platform is linked with an automated phenotyping code that registers organism-associated phenotypes at high-throughput. We validated our platform with a dose-response study of the anthelmintic drug tetramisole by studying its influence through the life cycle of the nematodes. In parallel, we could observe development effects and variations in single embryo and worm viability due to the bleaching procedure that is standardly used for harvesting the embryos from a worm culture agar plate.
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16
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Tian C, Tu Q, Liu W, Wang J. Recent advances in microfluidic technologies for organ-on-a-chip. Trends Analyt Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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17
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Sun C, Ou X, Cheng Y, Zhai T, Liu B, Lou X, Xia F. Coordination-induced structural changes of DNA-based optical and electrochemical sensors for metal ions detection. Dalton Trans 2019; 48:5879-5891. [PMID: 30681098 DOI: 10.1039/c8dt04733b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Metal ions play a critical role in human health and abnormal levels are closely related to various diseases. Therefore, the detection of metal ions with high selectivity, sensitivity and accuracy is particularly important. This article highlights and comments on the coordination-induced structural changes of DNA-based optical, electrochemical and optical-electrochemical-combined sensors for metal ions detection. Challenges and potential solutions of DNA-based sensors for the simultaneous detection of multiple metal ions are also discussed for further development and exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunli Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mould Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
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18
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Khalili A, Rezai P. Microfluidic devices for embryonic and larval zebrafish studies. Brief Funct Genomics 2019; 18:419-432. [DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elz006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Zebrafish or Danio rerio is an established model organism for studying the genetic, neuronal and behavioral bases of diseases and for toxicology and drug screening. The embryonic and larval stages of zebrafish have been used extensively in fundamental and applied research due to advantages offered such as body transparency, small size, low cost of cultivation and high genetic homology with humans. However, the manual experimental methods used for handling and investigating this organism are limited due to their low throughput, labor intensiveness and inaccuracy in delivering external stimuli to the zebrafish while quantifying various neuronal and behavioral responses. Microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices have emerged as ideal technologies to overcome these challenges. In this review paper, the current microfluidic approaches for investigation of behavior and neurobiology of zebrafish at embryonic and larval stages will be reviewed. Our focus will be to provide an overview of the microfluidic methods used to manipulate (deliver and orient), immobilize and expose or inject zebrafish embryos or larvae, followed by quantification of their responses in terms of neuron activities and movement. We will also provide our opinion in terms of the direction that the field of zebrafish microfluidics is heading toward in the area of biomedical engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arezoo Khalili
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pouya Rezai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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19
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Shorr AZ, Sönmez UM, Minden JS, LeDuc PR. High-throughput mechanotransduction in Drosophila embryos with mesofluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1141-1152. [PMID: 30778467 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01055b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Developing embryos create complexity by expressing genes to coordinate movement which generates mechanical force. An emerging theory is that mechanical force can also serve as an input signal to regulate developmental gene expression. Experimental methods to apply mechanical stimulation to whole embryos have been limited, mainly to aspiration, indentation, or moving a coverslip; these approaches stimulate only a few embryos at a time and require manual alignment. A powerful approach for automation is microfluidic devices, which can precisely manipulate hundreds of samples. However, using microfluidics to apply mechanical stimulation has been limited to small cellular systems, with fewer applications for larger scale whole embryos. We developed a mesofluidic device that applies the precision and automation of microfluidics to the Drosophila embryo: high-throughput automatic alignment, immobilization, compression, real-time imaging, and recovery of hundreds of live embryos. We then use twist:eGFP embryos to show that the mechanical induction of twist depends on the dose and duration of compression. This device allows us to quantify responses to compression, map the distribution of ectopic twist, and measure embryo stiffness. For building mesofluidic devices, we describe modifications on ultra-thick photolithography, derive an analytical model that predicts the deflection of sidewalls, and discuss parametric calibration. This "mesomechanics" approach combines the high-throughput automation and precision of microfluidics with the biological relevance of live embryos to examine mechanotransduction. These analytical models facilitate the design of future devices to process multicellular organisms such as larvae, organoids, and mesoscale tissue samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ardon Z Shorr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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20
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Shim S, Belanger MC, Harris AR, Munson JM, Pompano RR. Two-way communication between ex vivo tissues on a microfluidic chip: application to tumor-lymph node interaction. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1013-1026. [PMID: 30742147 PMCID: PMC6416076 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00957k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Experimentally accessible tools to replicate the complex biological events of in vivo organs offer the potential to reveal mechanisms of disease and potential routes to therapy. In particular, models of inter-organ communication are emerging as the next essential step towards creating a body-on-a-chip, and may be particularly useful for poorly understood processes such as tumor immunity. In this paper, we report the first multi-compartment microfluidic chip that continuously recirculates a small volume of media through two ex vivo tissue samples to support inter-organ cross-talk via secreted factors. To test on-chip communication, protein release and capture were quantified using well-defined artificial tissue samples and model proteins. Proteins released by one sample were transferred to the downstream reservoir and detectable in the downstream sample. Next, the chip was applied to model the communication between a tumor and a lymph node, to test whether on-chip dual-organ culture could recreate key features of tumor-induced immune suppression. Slices of murine lymph node were co-cultured with tumor or healthy tissue on-chip with recirculating media, then tested for their ability to respond to T cell stimulation. Interestingly, lymph node slices co-cultured with tumor slices appeared more immunosuppressed than those co-cultured with healthy tissue, suggesting that the chip may successfully model some features of tumor-immune interaction. In conclusion, this new microfluidic system provides on-chip co-culture of pairs of tissue slices under continuous recirculating flow, and has the potential to model complex inter-organ communication ex vivo with full experimental accessibility of the tissues and their media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangjo Shim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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21
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22
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Kim AA, Nekimken AL, Fechner S, O'Brien LE, Pruitt BL. Microfluidics for mechanobiology of model organisms. Methods Cell Biol 2018; 146:217-259. [PMID: 30037463 PMCID: PMC6418080 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical stimuli play a critical role in organ development, tissue homeostasis, and disease. Understanding how mechanical signals are processed in multicellular model systems is critical for connecting cellular processes to tissue- and organism-level responses. However, progress in the field that studies these phenomena, mechanobiology, has been limited by lack of appropriate experimental techniques for applying repeatable mechanical stimuli to intact organs and model organisms. Microfluidic platforms, a subgroup of microsystems that use liquid flow for manipulation of objects, are a promising tool for studying mechanobiology of small model organisms due to their size scale and ease of customization. In this work, we describe design considerations involved in developing a microfluidic device for studying mechanobiology. Then, focusing on worms, fruit flies, and zebrafish, we review current microfluidic platforms for mechanobiology of multicellular model organisms and their tissues and highlight research opportunities in this developing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Kim
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Beth L Pruitt
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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23
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Catterton MA, Dunn AF, Pompano RR. User-defined local stimulation of live tissue through a movable microfluidic port. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:2003-2012. [PMID: 29904762 PMCID: PMC6039252 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00204e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Many in vivo tissue responses begin locally, yet most in vitro stimuli are delivered globally. Microfluidics has a unique ability to provide focal stimulation to tissue samples with precise control over fluid location, flow rate, and composition. However, previous devices utilizing fixed ports beneath the tissue required manual alignment of the tissue over the ports, increasing the risk of mechanical damage. Here we present a novel microfluidic device that allows the user to define the location of fluid delivery to a living tissue slice without manipulating the tissue itself. The device utilized a two-component SlipChip design to create a mobile port beneath the tissue slice. A culture chamber perforated by an array of ports housed a tissue slice and was separated by a layer of fluorocarbon oil from a single delivery port, fed by a microfluidic channel in the movable layer below. We derived and validated a physical model, based on interfacial tension and flow resistance, to predict the conditions under which fluid delivery occurred without leakage into the gap between layers. Aqueous solution was delivered reproducibly to samples of tissue and gel, and the width of the delivery region was controlled primarily by convection. Tissue slice viability was not affected by stimulation on the device. As a proof-of-principle, we showed that live slices of lymph node tissue could be sequentially targeted for precise stimulation. In the future this device may serve as a platform to study the effects of fluid flow in tissues and to perform local drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Catterton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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24
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Letizia MC, Cornaglia M, Trouillon R, Sorrentino V, Mouchiroud L, Bou Sleiman MS, Auwerx J, Gijs MAM. Microfluidics-enabled phenotyping of a whole population of C. elegans worms over their embryonic and post-embryonic development at single-organism resolution. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2018; 4:6. [PMID: 31057896 PMCID: PMC6220190 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-018-0003-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The organism Caenorhabditis elegans is a performant model system for studying human biological processes and diseases, but until now all phenome data are produced as population-averaged read-outs. Monitoring of individual responses to drug treatments would however be more informative. Here, a new strategy to track different phenotypic traits of individual C. elegans nematodes throughout their full life-cycle-i.e., embryonic and post-embryonic development, until adulthood onset, differently from life-span-is presented. In an automated fashion, single worms were synchronized, isolated, and cultured from egg to adulthood in a microfluidic device, where their identity was preserved during their whole development. Several phenotypes were monitored and quantified for each animal, resulting in high-content phenome data. Specifically, the method was validated by analyzing the response of C. elegans to doxycycline, an antibiotic fairly well-known to prolong the development and activate mitochondrial stress-response pathways in different species. Interestingly, the obtained extensive single-worm phenome not only confirmed the dramatic doxycycline effect on the worm developmental delay, but more importantly revealed subtle yet severe treatment-dependent phenotypes that are representative of minority subgroups and would have otherwise stayed hidden in an averaged dataset. Such heterogeneous response started during the embryonic development, which makes essential having a dedicated chip that allows including this early developmental stage in the drug assay. Our approach would therefore allow elucidating pharmaceutical or therapeutic responses that so far were still being overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Letizia
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Cornaglia
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Trouillon
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincenzo Sorrentino
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maroun S. Bou Sleiman
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
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25
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Dong L, Cornaglia M, Krishnamani G, Zhang J, Mouchiroud L, Lehnert T, Auwerx J, Gijs MAM. Reversible and long-term immobilization in a hydrogel-microbead matrix for high-resolution imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans and other small organisms. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193989. [PMID: 29509812 PMCID: PMC5839568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an important model organism for biomedical research and genetic studies relevant to human biology and disease. Such studies are often based on high-resolution imaging of dynamic biological processes in the worm body tissues, requiring well-immobilized and physiologically active animals in order to avoid movement-related artifacts and to obtain meaningful biological information. However, existing immobilization methods employ the application of either anesthetics or servere physical constraints, by using glue or specific microfluidic on-chip mechanical structures, which in some cases may strongly affect physiological processes of the animals. Here, we immobilize C. elegans nematodes by taking advantage of a biocompatible and temperature-responsive hydrogel-microbead matrix. Our gel-based immobilization technique does not require a specific chip design and enables fast and reversible immobilization, thereby allowing successive imaging of the same single worm or of small worm populations at all development stages for several days. We successfully demonstrated the applicability of this method in challenging worm imaging contexts, in particular by applying it for high-resolution confocal imaging of the mitochondrial morphology in worm body wall muscle cells and for the long-term quantification of number and size of specific protein aggregates in different C. elegans neurodegenerative disease models. Our approach was also suitable for immobilizing other small organisms, such as the larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the unicellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei. We anticipate that this versatile technique will significantly simplify biological assay-based longitudinal studies and long-term observation of small model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Dong
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gopalan Krishnamani
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jingwei Zhang
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Lehnert
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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26
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Letizia MC, Cornaglia M, Tranchida G, Trouillon R, Gijs MAM. A design of experiment approach for efficient multi-parametric drug testing using a Caenorhabditis elegans model. Integr Biol (Camb) 2018; 10:48-56. [PMID: 29333560 DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00184c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
When studying the drug effectiveness towards a target model, one should distinguish the effects of the drug itself and of all the other factors that could influence the screening outcome. This comprehensive knowledge is crucial, especially when model organisms are used to study the drug effect at a systemic level, as a higher number of factors can influence the drug-testing outcome. Covering the entire experimental domain and studying the effect of the simultaneous change in several factors would require numerous experiments, which are costly and time-consuming. Therefore, a design of experiment (DoE) approach in drug-testing is emerging as a robust and efficient method to reduce the use of resources, while maximizing the knowledge of the process. Here, we used a 3-factor-Doehlert DoE to characterize the concentration-dependent effect of the drug doxycycline on the development duration of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. To cover the experimental space, 13 experiments were designed and performed, where different doxycycline concentrations were tested, while also varying the temperature and the food amount, which are known to influence the duration of C. elegans development. A microfluidic platform was designed to isolate and culture C. elegans larvae, while testing the doxycycline effect with full control of temperature and feeding over the entire development. Our approach allowed predicting the doxycycline effect on C. elegans development in the complete drug concentration/temperature/feeding experimental space, maximizing the understanding of the effect of this antibiotic on the C. elegans development and paving the way towards a standardized and optimized drug-testing process.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Letizia
- Microsystems Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL-STI-IMT-LMIS2, Station 17, Ch-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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27
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Ahadian S, Civitarese R, Bannerman D, Mohammadi MH, Lu R, Wang E, Davenport-Huyer L, Lai B, Zhang B, Zhao Y, Mandla S, Korolj A, Radisic M. Organ-On-A-Chip Platforms: A Convergence of Advanced Materials, Cells, and Microscale Technologies. Adv Healthc Mater 2018; 7. [PMID: 29034591 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201700506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Significant advances in biomaterials, stem cell biology, and microscale technologies have enabled the fabrication of biologically relevant tissues and organs. Such tissues and organs, referred to as organ-on-a-chip (OOC) platforms, have emerged as a powerful tool in tissue analysis and disease modeling for biological and pharmacological applications. A variety of biomaterials are used in tissue fabrication providing multiple biological, structural, and mechanical cues in the regulation of cell behavior and tissue morphogenesis. Cells derived from humans enable the fabrication of personalized OOC platforms. Microscale technologies are specifically helpful in providing physiological microenvironments for tissues and organs. In this review, biomaterials, cells, and microscale technologies are described as essential components to construct OOC platforms. The latest developments in OOC platforms (e.g., liver, skeletal muscle, cardiac, cancer, lung, skin, bone, and brain) are then discussed as functional tools in simulating human physiology and metabolism. Future perspectives and major challenges in the development of OOC platforms toward accelerating clinical studies of drug discovery are finally highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samad Ahadian
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Robert Civitarese
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Dawn Bannerman
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Rick Lu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Erika Wang
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Locke Davenport-Huyer
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Ben Lai
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Boyang Zhang
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Yimu Zhao
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Serena Mandla
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Anastasia Korolj
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
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Cornaglia M, Lehnert T, Gijs MAM. Microfluidic systems for high-throughput and high-content screening using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:3736-3759. [PMID: 28840220 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00509a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In a typical high-throughput drug screening (HTS) process, up to millions of chemical compounds are applied to cells cultured in well plates, aiming to find molecules that exhibit a robust dose-response, as evidenced for example by a fluorescence signal. In high-content screening (HCS), one goes a step further by linking the tested compounds to phenotypic information, obtained, for instance, from microscopic cell images, thereby creating richer data sets that also require more advanced analysis methods. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans came into the screening picture due to the wide availability of its mutants and human disease models, its relatively easy culture and short life cycle. Being a whole-organism model, it allows drug testing under physiological conditions at multi-tissue levels and provides additional observable phenotypes with respect to cell models, related, for instance, to development, aging, behavior or motility. Worm-based HTS studies in liquid environments on microwell plates have been demonstrated, while microfluidic devices allowed surpassing the performance of plates by enabling more versatile and accurate assays, precise and dynamic dosing of compounds, and readouts down to single-animal resolution. In this review, we discuss microfluidic devices for C. elegans analysis and related studies, published in the period from 2012 to 2017. After an introduction to the different screening approaches, we first focus on microfluidic systems with potential for screening applications. Various enabling technologies, e.g. electrophysiological on-chip recordings or laser axotomy, have been implemented, as well as techniques for reversible worm immobilization and high-resolution imaging, combined with algorithms for automated experimentation and analysis. Several devices for developmental or behavioral assays, and worm sorting based on different phenotypes, have been proposed too. In a subsequent section, we review the application of microfluidic-based systems for medium- and high-throughput screens, including neurobiology and neurodegeneration studies, aging and developmental assays, toxicity and pathogenesis screens, as well as behavioral and motility assays. A thorough analysis of this work reveals a trend towards microfluidic systems more and more capable of offering high-quality analyses of large worm populations, based on multi-phenotypic and/or longitudinal readouts, with clear potential for their application in larger HTS/HCS contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.
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29
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Bai Z, Bao H, Yuan Y, Yang X, Xi Y, Wang M. Real-time observation of perturbation of a Drosophila embryo's early cleavage cycles with microfluidics. Anal Chim Acta 2017; 982:131-137. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2017.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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30
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Trouillon R, Letizia MC, Menzies KJ, Mouchiroud L, Auwerx J, Schoonjans K, Gijs MAM. A multiscale study of the role of dynamin in the regulation of glucose uptake. Integr Biol (Camb) 2017; 9:810-819. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00015d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cells- and organisms-on-a-chip strategies were used to highlight the role of the molecular motor dynamin in regulating the translocation of specific glucose transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Trouillon
- Laboratory of Microsystems
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- EPFL-STI-IMT-LMIS2
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
| | - M. Cristina Letizia
- Laboratory of Microsystems
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- EPFL-STI-IMT-LMIS2
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
| | - Keir J. Menzies
- Laboratory of Metabolic Signaling
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- EPFL-SV-IBI-UPSCHOONJANS
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
| | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- EPFL-SV-IBI-LISP
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- EPFL-SV-IBI-LISP
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
| | - Kristina Schoonjans
- Laboratory of Metabolic Signaling
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- EPFL-SV-IBI-UPSCHOONJANS
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- EPFL-STI-IMT-LMIS2
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
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31
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Dong L, Cornaglia M, Lehnert T, Gijs MAM. On-chip microfluidic biocommunication assay for studying male-induced demise in C. elegans hermaphrodites. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:4534-4545. [PMID: 27735953 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01005a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Like other animals, C. elegans nematodes have the ability to socially interact and to communicate through exchange and sensing of small soluble signaling compounds that help them cope with complex environmental conditions. For the time being, worm biocommunication assays are being performed mainly on agar plates; however, microfluidic assays may provide significant advantages compared to traditional methods, such as control of signaling molecule concentrations and gradients or confinement of distinct worm populations in different microcompartments. Here, we propose a microfluidic device for studying signaling via diffusive secreted compounds between two specific C. elegans populations over prolonged durations. In particular, we designed a microfluidic assay to investigate the biological process of male-induced demise, i.e. lifespan shortening and accelerated age-related phenotype alterations, in C. elegans hermaphrodites in the presence of a physically separated male population. For this purpose, male and hermaphrodite worm populations were confined in adjacent microchambers on the chip, whereas molecules secreted by males could be exchanged between both populations by periodically activating the controlled fluidic transfer of μl-volume aliquots of male-conditioned medium. For male-conditioned hermaphrodites, we observed a reduction of 4 days in mean lifespan compared to the non-conditioned on-chip culture. We also observed an enhanced muscle decline, as expressed by a faster decrease in the thrashing frequency and the appearance of vacuolar-like structures indicative of accelerated aging. The chip was placed in an incubator at 20 °C for accurate control of the lifespan assay conditions. An on-demand bacteria feeding protocol was applied, and the worms were observed during long-term on-chip culture over the whole worm lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Dong
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Thomas Lehnert
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Martin A M Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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32
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Hu L, Ge A, Wang X, Wang S, Gao Y, Feng X, Du W, Liu BF. An on-demand gas segmented flow generator with high spatiotemporal resolution for in vivo analysis of neuronal response in C. elegans. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:4020-4027. [PMID: 27714011 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00948d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Studies of chemo-sensing in C. elegans to fluctuating gaseous cues are limited due to the lack of a method of precise gas control. In this paper, we describe a microfluidic-based on-demand gas segmented flow generator for performing fluctuating gaseous stimulations to worms. This highly versatile and programmable micro-device integrated with pneumatic valves for flexible and stable gas flow control and worm immobilization enabled us to examine the temporal features of neuronal response to multiple gas pulses with sub-second precision. As a result, we demonstrated the capability of the micro-device to generate repetitive gaseous chemical pulses with varying durations. By characterizing intracellular calcium signals, we showed that URX sensory neurons were sensitive to O2 pulses with duration of more than 0.5 s. Furthermore, URX neuronal adaptation and recovery in response to gaseous chemical pulses were investigated by varying the durations and intervals. The developed microfluidic system is shown to be a useful tool for studying the dynamics of in vivo gas-evoked neuronal responses and revealing the temporal properties of environmental stimulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Hu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. and Brain Research Center, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Anle Ge
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Xixian Wang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Yue Gao
- Optic Information Science & Technology, School of Physics, Sun Yat-Sen University, China
| | - Xiaojun Feng
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Wei Du
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Bi-Feng Liu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
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Muthaiyan Shanmugam M, Subhra Santra T. Microfluidic Devices in Advanced Caenorhabditis elegans Research. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21081006. [PMID: 27490525 PMCID: PMC6273278 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21081006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of model organisms is very important in view of their potential for application to human therapeutic uses. One such model organism is the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans. As a nematode, C. elegans have ~65% similarity with human disease genes and, therefore, studies on C. elegans can be translated to human, as well as, C. elegans can be used in the study of different types of parasitic worms that infect other living organisms. In the past decade, many efforts have been undertaken to establish interdisciplinary research collaborations between biologists, physicists and engineers in order to develop microfluidic devices to study the biology of C. elegans. Microfluidic devices with the power to manipulate and detect bio-samples, regents or biomolecules in micro-scale environments can well fulfill the requirement to handle worms under proper laboratory conditions, thereby significantly increasing research productivity and knowledge. The recent development of different kinds of microfluidic devices with ultra-high throughput platforms has enabled researchers to carry out worm population studies. Microfluidic devices primarily comprises of chambers, channels and valves, wherein worms can be cultured, immobilized, imaged, etc. Microfluidic devices have been adapted to study various worm behaviors, including that deepen our understanding of neuromuscular connectivity and functions. This review will provide a clear account of the vital involvement of microfluidic devices in worm biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muniesh Muthaiyan Shanmugam
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
| | - Tuhin Subhra Santra
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600 036, India.
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34
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Luan X, Zhang Y, Wu J, Jonkheijm P, Li G, Jiang L, Huskens J, An Q. Bio-inspired Dynamic Gradients Regulated by Supramolecular Bindings in Receptor-Embedded Hydrogel Matrices. ChemistryOpen 2016; 5:331-8. [PMID: 27547643 PMCID: PMC4981054 DOI: 10.1002/open.201600030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The kinetics of supramolecular bindings are fundamentally important for molecular motions and spatial-temporal distributions in biological systems, but have rarely been employed in preparing artificial materials. This report proposes a bio-inspired concept to regulate dynamic gradients through the coupled supramolecular binding and diffusion process in receptor-embedded hydrogel matrices. A new type of hydrogel that uses cyclodextrin (CD) as both the gelling moiety and the receptors is prepared as the diffusion matrices. The diffusible guest, 4-aminoazobenzene, quickly and reversibly binds to matrices-bound CD during diffusion and generates steeper gradients than regular diffusion. Weakened bindings induced through UV irradiation extend the gradients. Combined with numerical simulation, these results indicate that the coupled binding-diffusion could be viewed as slowed diffusion, regulated jointly by the binding constant and the equilibrium receptor concentrations, and gradients within a bio-relevant extent of 4 mm are preserved up to 90 h. This report should inspire design strategies of biomedical or cell-culturing materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglong Luan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral MaterialsSchool of Materials Science and TechnologyChina University of GeosciencesBeijing100083P. R. China
| | - Yihe Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral MaterialsSchool of Materials Science and TechnologyChina University of GeosciencesBeijing100083P. R. China
| | - Jing Wu
- School of ScienceChina University of GeosciencesBeijing100083P. R. China
| | - Pascal Jonkheijm
- Molecular Nanofabrication GroupMESA+Institute of NanotechnologyUniversity of Twente, 7500 AEEnschedeThe Netherlands
| | - Guangtao Li
- Department of ChemistryTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084P. R. China
| | - Lei Jiang
- Institute of ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100084P. R. China
| | - Jurriaan Huskens
- Molecular Nanofabrication GroupMESA+Institute of NanotechnologyUniversity of Twente, 7500 AEEnschedeThe Netherlands
| | - Qi An
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral MaterialsSchool of Materials Science and TechnologyChina University of GeosciencesBeijing100083P. R. China
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Yang F, Gao C, Wang P, Zhang GJ, Chen Z. Fish-on-a-chip: microfluidics for zebrafish research. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:1106-25. [PMID: 26923141 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00044d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
High-efficiency zebrafish (embryo) handling platforms are crucially needed to facilitate the deciphering of the increasingly expanding vertebrate-organism model values. However, the manipulation platforms for zebrafish are scarce and rely mainly on the conventional "static" microtiter plates or glass slides with rigid gel, which limits the dynamic, three-dimensional (3D), tissue/organ-oriented information acquisition from the intact larva with normal developmental dynamics. In addition, these routine platforms are not amenable to high-throughput handling of such swimming multicellular biological entities at the single-organism level and incapable of precisely controlling the growth microenvironment by delivering stimuli in a well-defined spatiotemporal fashion. Recently, microfluidics has been developed to address these technical challenges via tailor-engineered microscale structures or structured arrays, which integrate with or interface to functional components (e.g. imaging systems), allowing quantitative readouts of small objects (zebrafish larvae and embryos) under normal physiological conditions. Here, we critically review the recent progress on zebrafish manipulation, imaging and phenotype readouts of external stimuli using these microfluidic tools and discuss the challenges that confront these promising "fish-on-a-chip" technologies. We also provide an outlook on future potential trends in this field by combining with bionanoprobes and biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, 1 Huangjia Lake West Road, Wuhan 430065, China.
| | - Chuan Gao
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, 1 Huangjia Lake West Road, Wuhan 430065, China.
| | - Ping Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, 1 Huangjia Lake West Road, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Guo-Jun Zhang
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, 1 Huangjia Lake West Road, Wuhan 430065, China.
| | - Zuanguang Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
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36
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Liu W, Lin JM. Online Monitoring of Lactate Efflux by Multi-Channel Microfluidic Chip-Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Drug Evaluation. ACS Sens 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.5b00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wu Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Jin-Ming Lin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
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37
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Cornaglia M, Krishnamani G, Mouchiroud L, Sorrentino V, Lehnert T, Auwerx J, Gijs MAM. Automated longitudinal monitoring of in vivo protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disease C. elegans models. Mol Neurodegener 2016; 11:17. [PMID: 26858201 PMCID: PMC4746889 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-016-0083-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While many biological studies can be performed on cell-based systems, the investigation of molecular pathways related to complex human dysfunctions - e.g. neurodegenerative diseases - often requires long-term studies in animal models. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans represents one of the best model organisms for many of these tests and, therefore, versatile and automated systems for accurate time-resolved analyses on C. elegans are becoming highly desirable tools in the field. RESULTS We describe a new multi-functional platform for C. elegans analytical research, enabling automated worm isolation and culture, reversible worm immobilization and long-term high-resolution imaging, and this under active control of the main culture parameters, including temperature. We employ our platform for in vivo observation of biomolecules and automated analysis of protein aggregation in a C. elegans model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our device allows monitoring the growth rate and development of each worm, at single animal resolution, within a matrix of microfluidic chambers. We demonstrate the progression of individual protein aggregates, i.e. mutated human superoxide dismutase 1 - Yellow Fluorescent Protein (SOD1-YFP) fusion proteins in the body wall muscles, for each worm and over several days. Moreover, by combining reversible worm immobilization and on-chip high-resolution imaging, our method allows precisely localizing the expression of biomolecules within the worms' tissues, as well as monitoring the evolution of single aggregates over consecutive days at the sub-cellular level. We also show the suitability of our system for protein aggregation monitoring in a C. elegans Huntington disease (HD) model, and demonstrate the system's ability to study long-term doxycycline treatment-linked modification of protein aggregation profiles in the ALS model. CONCLUSION Our microfluidic-based method allows analyzing in vivo the long-term dynamics of protein aggregation phenomena in C. elegans at unprecedented resolution. Pharmacological screenings on neurodegenerative disease C. elegans models may strongly benefit from this method in the near future, because of its full automation and high-throughput potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, EPFL, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | | | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, EPFL, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Vincenzo Sorrentino
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, EPFL, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Thomas Lehnert
- Laboratory of Microsystems, EPFL, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, EPFL, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Martin A M Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, EPFL, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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38
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Dong L, Cornaglia M, Lehnert T, Gijs MAM. Versatile size-dependent sorting of C. elegans nematodes and embryos using a tunable microfluidic filter structure. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:574-585. [PMID: 26755420 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc01328c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a powerful model organism for addressing fundamental biological questions related to human disease and aging. Its life cycle consists of an embryo stage, four larval stages that can be clearly distinguished by size and different morphological features, and adulthood. Many worm-based bio-assays require stage- or age-synchronized worm populations, for example for studying the life cycle and aging of worms under different pharmacological conditions or to avoid misinterpretation of results due to overlap of stage-specific response in general. Here, we present a new microfluidic approach for size-dependent sorting of C. elegans nematodes on-chip. We take advantage of the external pressure-deformable profile of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) transfer channels that connect two on-chip worm chambers. The pressure-controlled effective cross-section of these channels creates adjustable filter structures that can be easily tuned for a specific worm sorting experiment, without changing the design parameters of the device itself. By optimizing the control pressure settings, we can extract larvae of a specific development stage from a mixed worm culture with an efficiency close to 100% and with a throughput of up to 3.5 worms per second. Our approach also allows us to generate mixed populations of larvae of adjacent stages or to adjust their ratio directly in the microfluidic chamber. Moreover, using the same device, we demonstrated extraction of embryos from adult worm populations for subsequent culture of accurately age-synchronized nematode populations or embryo-based assays. Considering that our sorting device is merely based on geometrical parameters and operated by simple fluidic and pressure control, we believe that it has strong potential for use in advanced, automated, microfluidic C. elegans-based assay platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Dong
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Thomas Lehnert
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Martin A M Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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39
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Stanley CE, Grossmann G, i Solvas XC, deMello AJ. Soil-on-a-Chip: microfluidic platforms for environmental organismal studies. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:228-41. [PMID: 26645910 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc01285f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Soil is the habitat of countless organisms and encompasses an enormous variety of dynamic environmental conditions. While it is evident that a thorough understanding of how organisms interact with the soil environment may have substantial ecological and economical impact, current laboratory-based methods depend on reductionist approaches that are incapable of simulating natural diversity. The application of Lab-on-a-Chip or microfluidic technologies to organismal studies is an emerging field, where the unique benefits afforded by system miniaturisation offer new opportunities for the experimentalist. Indeed, precise spatiotemporal control over the microenvironments of soil organisms in combination with high-resolution imaging has the potential to provide an unprecedented view of biological events at the single-organism or single-cell level, which in turn opens up new avenues for environmental and organismal studies. Herein we review some of the most recent and interesting developments in microfluidic technologies for the study of soil organisms and their interactions with the environment. We discuss how so-called "Soil-on-a-Chip" technology has already contributed significantly to the study of bacteria, nematodes, fungi and plants, as well as inter-organismal interactions, by advancing experimental access and environmental control. Most crucially, we highlight where distinct advantages over traditional approaches exist and where novel biological insights will ensue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Stanley
- Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Guido Grossmann
- Cell Networks-Cluster of Excellence and Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Andrew J deMello
- Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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40
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Trouillon R, Gijs MAM. Dynamic electrochemical quantitation of dopamine release from a cells-on-paper system. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra02487d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
A simple hybrid microfluidic/electrochemical system is used to observe the secretion of neurotransmitters from a cells-on-paper system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Trouillon
- Laboratory of Microsystems
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
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41
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Esfahani MMN, Tarn MD, Choudhury TA, Hewitt LC, Mayo AJ, Rubin TA, Waller MR, Christensen MG, Dawson A, Pamme N. Lab-on-a-chip workshop activities for secondary school students. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2016; 10:011301. [PMID: 26865902 PMCID: PMC4744233 DOI: 10.1063/1.4940884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/09/2016] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The ability to engage and inspire younger generations in novel areas of science is important for bringing new researchers into a burgeoning field, such as lab-on-a-chip. We recently held a lab-on-a-chip workshop for secondary school students, for which we developed a number of hands-on activities that explained various aspects of microfluidic technology, including fabrication (milling and moulding of microfluidic devices, and wax printing of microfluidic paper-based analytical devices, so-called μPADs), flow regimes (gradient formation via diffusive mixing), and applications (tissue analysis and μPADs). Questionnaires completed by the students indicated that they found the workshop both interesting and informative, with all activities proving successful, while providing feedback that could be incorporated into later iterations of the event.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark D Tarn
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Tahmina A Choudhury
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Laura C Hewitt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley J Mayo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Theodore A Rubin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Mathew R Waller
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Martin G Christensen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Dawson
- School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole Pamme
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
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Abstract
The underlying physical properties of microfluidic tools have led to new biological insights through the development of microsystems that can manipulate, mimic and measure biology at a resolution that has not been possible with macroscale tools. Microsystems readily handle sub-microlitre volumes, precisely route predictable laminar fluid flows and match both perturbations and measurements to the length scales and timescales of biological systems. The advent of fabrication techniques that do not require highly specialized engineering facilities is fuelling the broad dissemination of microfluidic systems and their adaptation to specific biological questions. We describe how our understanding of molecular and cell biology is being and will continue to be advanced by precision microfluidic approaches and posit that microfluidic tools - in conjunction with advanced imaging, bioinformatics and molecular biology approaches - will transform biology into a precision science.
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43
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Feasibility of Primary Tumor Culture Models and Preclinical Prediction Assays for Head and Neck Cancer: A Narrative Review. Cancers (Basel) 2015; 7:1716-42. [PMID: 26343729 PMCID: PMC4586791 DOI: 10.3390/cancers7030858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary human tumor culture models allow for individualized drug sensitivity testing and are therefore a promising technique to achieve personalized treatment for cancer patients. This would especially be of interest for patients with advanced stage head and neck cancer. They are extensively treated with surgery, usually in combination with high-dose cisplatin chemoradiation. However, adding cisplatin to radiotherapy is associated with an increase in severe acute toxicity, while conferring only a minor overall survival benefit. Hence, there is a strong need for a preclinical model to identify patients that will respond to the intended treatment regimen and to test novel drugs. One of such models is the technique of culturing primary human tumor tissue. This review discusses the feasibility and success rate of existing primary head and neck tumor culturing techniques and their corresponding chemo- and radiosensitivity assays. A comprehensive literature search was performed and success factors for culturing in vitro are debated, together with the actual value of these models as preclinical prediction assay for individual patients. With this review, we aim to fill a gap in the understanding of primary culture models from head and neck tumors, with potential importance for other tumor types as well.
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44
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Dixon AR, Bathany C, Tsuei M, White J, Barald KF, Takayama S. Recent developments in multiplexing techniques for immunohistochemistry. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2015; 15:1171-86. [PMID: 26289603 PMCID: PMC4810438 DOI: 10.1586/14737159.2015.1069182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Methods to detect immunolabeled molecules at increasingly higher resolutions, even when present at low levels, are revolutionizing immunohistochemistry (IHC). These technologies can be valuable for the management and examination of rare patient tissue specimens, and for improved accuracy of early disease detection. The purpose of this article is to highlight recent multiplexing methods that are candidates for more prevalent use in clinical research and potential translation to the clinic. Multiplex IHC methods, which permit identification of at least 3 and up to 30 discrete antigens, have been divided into whole-section staining and spatially-patterned staining categories. Associated signal enhancement technologies that can enhance performance and throughput of multiplex IHC assays are also discussed. Each multiplex IHC technique, detailed herein, is associated with several advantages as well as tradeoffs that must be taken into consideration for proper evaluation and use of the methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Dixon
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology Department, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Cédric Bathany
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 100 Banyeon-ri, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan 689-798, Republic of Korea
| | - Michael Tsuei
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Joshua White
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kate F Barald
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology Department, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shuichi Takayama
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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45
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Cornaglia M, Mouchiroud L, Marette A, Narasimhan S, Lehnert T, Jovaisaite V, Auwerx J, Gijs MAM. An automated microfluidic platform for C. elegans embryo arraying, phenotyping, and long-term live imaging. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10192. [PMID: 25950235 PMCID: PMC4423638 DOI: 10.1038/srep10192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of the real-time dynamics of embryonic development require a gentle embryo handling method, the possibility of long-term live imaging during the complete embryogenesis, as well as of parallelization providing a population's statistics, while keeping single embryo resolution. We describe an automated approach that fully accomplishes these requirements for embryos of Caenorhabditis elegans, one of the most employed model organisms in biomedical research. We developed a microfluidic platform which makes use of pure passive hydrodynamics to run on-chip worm cultures, from which we obtain synchronized embryo populations, and to immobilize these embryos in incubator microarrays for long-term high-resolution optical imaging. We successfully employ our platform to investigate morphogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis during the full embryonic development and elucidate the role of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR(mt)) within C. elegans embryogenesis. Our method can be generally used for protein expression and developmental studies at the embryonic level, but can also provide clues to understand the aging process and age-related diseases in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015
Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Ecole
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,
CH-1015
Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexis Marette
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015
Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Shreya Narasimhan
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015
Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Lehnert
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015
Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Virginija Jovaisaite
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Ecole
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,
CH-1015
Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Ecole
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,
CH-1015
Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015
Lausanne, Switzerland
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46
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Hu JB, Chen TR, Chang CH, Cheng JY, Chen YC, Urban PL. A compact 3D-printed interface for coupling open digital microchips with Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry. Analyst 2015; 140:1495-501. [PMID: 25622965 DOI: 10.1039/c4an02220c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics (DMF) based on the electrowetting-on-dielectric phenomenon is a convenient way of handling microlitre-volume aliquots of solutions prior to analysis. Although it was shown to be compatible with on-line mass spectrometric detection, due to numerous technical obstacles, the implementation of DMF in conjunction with MS is still beyond the reach of many analytical laboratories. Here we present a facile method for coupling open DMF microchips to mass spectrometers using Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization operated at atmospheric pressure. The proposed interface comprises a 3D-printed body that can easily be "clipped" at the inlet of a standard mass spectrometer. The accessory features all the necessary connections for an open-architecture DMF microchip with T-shaped electrode arrangement, thermostatting of the microchip, purification of air (to prevent accidental contamination of the microchip), a Venturi pump, and two microfluidic pumps to facilitate transfer of samples and reagents onto the microchip. The system also incorporates a touch-screen panel and remote control for user-friendly operation. It is based on the use of popular open-source electronic modules, and can readily be assembled at low expense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie-Bi Hu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
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47
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Liu W, Chen Q, Lin X, Lin JM. Online multi-channel microfluidic chip-mass spectrometry and its application for quantifying noncovalent protein-protein interactions. Analyst 2015; 140:1551-4. [PMID: 25597452 DOI: 10.1039/c4an02370f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
To establish an automatic and online microfluidic chip-mass spectrometry (chip-MS) system, a device was designed and fabricated for microsampling by a hybrid capillary. The movement of the capillary was programmed by a computer to aspirate samples from different microfluidic channels in the form of microdroplets (typically tens of nanoliters in volume), which were separated by air plugs. The droplets were then directly analyzed by MS via paper spray ionization without any pretreatment. The feasibility and performance were demonstrated by a concentration gradient experiment. Furthermore, after eliminating the effect of nonuniform response factors by an internal standard method, determination of the association constant within a noncovalent protein-protein complex was successfully accomplished with the MS-based titration indicating the versatility and the potential of this novel platform for widespread applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
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48
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Trouillon R, Gijs MAM. Delayed voltammetric with respect to amperometric electrochemical detection of concentration changes in microchannels. LAB ON A CHIP 2014; 14:2929-2940. [PMID: 24990070 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc00493k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The time response of an electrode incorporated into a fluidic channel to variations in analyte concentration of the outer-sphere redox probe ferrocenemethanol was investigated both for amperometry (AMP) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The experimental data show that the temporal resolution of CV is not as good as that of AMP, as CV cannot properly detect fast concentration transients. The delayed response of CV was previously reported, for neurotransmitters, and mostly attributed to the adsorption of the analyte on the electrode surface. By using an outer-sphere redox couple, we show that mass transport also significantly delays the response of CV. The experimental delay time in CV was understood from mass transfer limitations due to the relaxation of the diffusion layer during repeated potential scanning. Furthermore, a robust protocol for the analysis of fast concentration transients was established, using the impulse and modulation transfer functions of the system. This method was found to be more precise than the mere analysis of undifferentiated traces in the time domain. As a proof of concept, the effect of increased viscosity was investigated, showing that AMP was more sensitive than CV to these variations. Overall, this analysis underlines further the enhanced temporal sensitivity of AMP over CV, at the expense of decreased chemical resolution, potentially having implications for in situ electrochemical detection of biologically relevant molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Trouillon
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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49
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Kim D, Wu X, Young AT, Haynes CL. Microfluidics-based in vivo mimetic systems for the study of cellular biology. Acc Chem Res 2014; 47:1165-73. [PMID: 24555566 PMCID: PMC3993883 DOI: 10.1021/ar4002608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The human body is a complex network of molecules,
organelles, cells,
tissues, and organs: an uncountable number of interactions and transformations
interconnect all the system’s components. In addition to these
biochemical components, biophysical components, such as pressure,
flow, and morphology, and the location of all of these interactions
play an important role in the human body. Technical difficulties have
frequently limited researchers from observing cellular biology as
it occurs within the human body, but some state-of-the-art analytical
techniques have revealed distinct cellular behaviors that occur only
in the context of the interactions. These types of findings have inspired
bioanalytical chemists to provide new tools to better understand these
cellular behaviors and interactions. What blocks us from understanding
critical biological interactions
in the human body? Conventional approaches are often too naïve
to provide realistic data and in vivo whole animal studies give complex
results that may or may not be relevant for humans. Microfluidics
offers an opportunity to bridge these two extremes: while these studies
will not model the complexity of the in vivo human system, they can
control the complexity so researchers can examine critical factors
of interest carefully and quantitatively. In addition, the use of
human cells, such as cells isolated from donated blood, captures human-relevant
data and limits the use of animals in research. In addition, researchers
can adapt these systems easily and cost-effectively to a variety of
high-end signal transduction mechanisms, facilitating high-throughput
studies that are also spatially, temporally, or chemically resolved.
These strengths should allow microfluidic platforms to reveal critical
parameters in the human body and provide insights that will help with
the translation of pharmacological advances to clinical trials. In this Account, we describe selected microfluidic innovations
within the last 5 years that focus on modeling both biophysical and
biochemical interactions in cellular communication, such as flow and
cell–cell networks. We also describe more advanced systems
that mimic higher level biological networks, such as organ on-a-chip
and animal on-a-chip models. Since the first papers in the early 1990s,
interest in the bioanalytical use of microfluidics has grown significantly.
Advances in micro-/nanofabrication technology have allowed researchers
to produce miniaturized, biocompatible assay platforms suitable for
microfluidic studies in biochemistry and chemical biology. Well-designed
microfluidic platforms can achieve quick, in vitro analyses on pico-
and femtoliter volume samples that are temporally, spatially, and
chemically resolved. In addition, controlled cell culture techniques
using a microfluidic platform have produced biomimetic systems that
allow researchers to replicate and monitor physiological interactions.
Pioneering work has successfully created cell–fluid, cell–cell,
cell–tissue, tissue–tissue, even organ-like level interfaces.
Researchers have monitored cellular behaviors in these biomimetic
microfluidic environments, producing validated model systems to understand
human pathophysiology and to support the development of new therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghyuk Kim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant
Street Southeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Xiaojie Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant
Street Southeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Ashlyn T. Young
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant
Street Southeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Christy L. Haynes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant
Street Southeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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50
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Li Y, Yang F, Chen Z, Shi L, Zhang B, Pan J, Li X, Sun D, Yang H. Zebrafish on a chip: a novel platform for real-time monitoring of drug-induced developmental toxicity. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94792. [PMID: 24733308 PMCID: PMC3986246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pharmaceutical safety testing requires a cheap, fast and highly efficient platform for real-time evaluation of drug toxicity and secondary effects. In this study, we have developed a microfluidic system for phenotype-based evaluation of toxic and teratogenic effects of drugs using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae as the model organism. The microfluidic chip is composed of two independent functional units, enabling the assessment of zebrafish embryos and larvae. Each unit consists of a fluidic concentration gradient generator and a row of seven culture chambers to accommodate zebrafish. To test the accuracy of this new chip platform, we examined the toxicity and teratogenicity of an anti-asthmatic agent-aminophylline (Apl) on 210 embryos and 210 larvae (10 individuals per chamber). The effect of Apl on zebrafish embryonic development was quantitatively assessed by recording a series of physiological indicators such as heart rate, survival rate, body length and hatch rate. Most importantly, a new index called clonic convulsion rate, combined with mortality was used to evaluate the toxicities of Apl on zebrafish larvae. We found that Apl can induce deformity and cardiovascular toxicity in both zebrafish embryos and larvae. This microdevice is a multiplexed testing apparatus that allows for the examination of indexes beyond toxicity and teratogenicity at the sub-organ and cellular levels and provides a potentially cost-effective and rapid pharmaceutical safety assessment tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinbao Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, JiangXi, China
| | - Fan Yang
- School of Laboratory Medcine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Zuanguang Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (ZC); (HY)
| | - Lijuan Shi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Beibei Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianbin Pan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinchun Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Duanping Sun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongzhi Yang
- The third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (ZC); (HY)
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